Eva | studio In My Back Yard

I started printing three years ago. Printing in my own studio kicked off a little over a year ago.

Describe your first encounter with letterpress

My first encounter with letterpress was when we lived in the USA. We resided in the ‘fly-over-drive-through-state-Arkansas’ and the nearest biggest city was Kansas City. It was there that I walked into a print shop and was sold in a heartbeat.

Where did you learn?

I learned a lot from Thomas Gravemaker. I started taking lessons about three years ago on a VERY cold February day. It was his space, personality, patience and willingness to share knowledge that made me fall in love with printing. After that the community answered a lot of questions and I became friends with Rozemarijn Oudejans and Marieke van der Perk. We share highlights and struggles.

Who was your most influential teacher?

Well, easy question, Thomas. Although I loved working in the GWA. The past year I’ve met a very inspiring photographer and drawing artist and working together with them definitely made me grow as a printer.

What super power would you like to have?

Having lived on different parts of the world and have friends everywhere, I could definitely use a machine to be transported everywhere in a heartbeat. I’d like to have coffee in Arkansas, then lunch in Durban etc…

Do you prefer to work alone or with others?

Both. I love the acceleration of working together. But I also enjoy taking time and being fully concentrated on my own. Being a bit of an introvert I need time alone now and then.

What do you most value in your friends?

Trust. Humor. Both on 1.

When do your best ideas occur to you?

While running. While meeting up with artists in different settings. Always, I have more ideas than time!

If you were to die and come back as a typeface, which would it be?

I would come back as confetti.

What tool do you use more often than any other?

Scissors

What books are currently on your nightstand?

Hahahaha! I also have three kids. I read the newspaper in bed.

If you could study with any printer throughout history, who would it be?

Alan Kitching

If you have your own shop, what equipment do you own?

A Korrex Stuttgart. Two tiny proof presses and a bigger proof press that I use to make posters. A Bartham polymer machine. Oh, and a impress foil press. That I mainly use to emboss. So far at least.

If you could change one thing about your shop, what would it be?

A bigger proof press with automatic inking system is HIGH on my list.

When and where are you the happiest?

Breakfast at the beach with my family.

What is your greatest fear/worry?

Having three children makes me the happiest person the world. It also makes me the most vulnerable person in the world.

What do you think is useful about what you make?

What I do makes me happy. I can only hope that investing time, being present and creating beautiful things for others creates beautiful memories.

What is your day job?

I’m a printer, freelance writer and I host an Airbnb location. The house we live in used to be a bakery and we rent out part of it. It sleeps five and it’s going well. I’d say it takes up half of my time. AND I’m a mother to three kids – 8, 10 and 13. It consumes the other half. Wait, no, Idk, I’m a professional full-time time juggler.